Balboa Park 'partnerships' scrutinized

Party planners touted deals that weren't inked

Planners of a big celebration in Balboa Park next year are seeking $3.2 million in additional hotel-tax revenue, but the agency that distributes those funds is raising questions about a lack of program details and signed partnership agreements.

The nonprofit Balboa Park Celebration Inc. is planning a yearlong centennial to remember the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, and has already been granted $1.2 million in public funds.

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Its application for $3.2 million more from the San Diego Tourism Marketing District is up for discussion by that agency Friday. Based on discussions at a committee meeting earlier this week, the money may not be granted easily.

One board member publicly questioned the validity of “key partnerships” listed in the funding application, according to a letter from the nonprofit’s chief executive, Julie Dubick. Several of the listed partnerships have not been finalized.

Dubick responded to questions at the Tuesday meeting with a six-page letter on Wednesday.

“In our application, we lump these under a heading of ‘Key Partnerships’ though in a few cases that may be aspirational,” Dubick acknowledged in her letter.

The group prefers the term “targeted relationships” for such groups, she said.

She outlined Balboa Park Celebration’s arrangements with many of the groups listed as partners in its funding application.

One is the Mexican Consulate, which Dubick says has expressed a strong desire to organize a Mexican presence at the celebration. According to her letter, the nonprofit is also in discussions with National University.

The group claimed 21 key partnerships in its application for funds. U-T Watchdog called several organizations listed in the funding application whose partnership status was questioned this week by tourism board leaders.

One such group is the San Diego Bowl Game Association. According to Dubick, the idea with that group is “to explore ways we can partner for mutual value, to increase and extend out of market tourism to our respective events by leveraging the proximity of Bowl Week and Centennial kickoff festivities.”

Bruce Binkowski, who runs the association that presents the Holiday and Poinsettia bowls, told U-T Watchdog that no partnership has been formalized.

“Last year I had maybe two or three casual conversations with their representatives suggesting that sometime this year we could meet and discuss possible promotional tie-ins,” Binkowski said. “However, we have no partnership, no details have been discussed and there are no plans to spend any money with them.”

The House of Norway is listed as a key partner in Balboa Park Celebration’s application for tourism funds. That was news to Maury Lee, that group’s president.

“I know there’s planning going on as far as what we’re going to be doing, but it’s still in the planning stages,” Lee said.

The Port of Los Angeles was also unaware of any partnership with the centennial plans, despite being so referenced.

“To our knowledge, we aren’t aware of any discussions or sponsorship proposals that have been exchanged between the event organizer and the Port of Los Angeles,” said Arley Baker, senior communications director.

The Watchdog reported Monday that Balboa Park Celebration was lagging in its efforts planning for the 100th anniversary of the exposition, which drew millions of visitors to San Diego.

Among other problems, the nonprofit pushed back deadlines for key reports due last year, it has announced no corporate sponsors, more than one-third of the days in 2015 have no scheduled events and it just replaced its main producer.

Balboa Park supporters and volunteers complained that their ideas were ignored and they were excluded from planning meetings.

Hotelier William Evans, treasurer of the tourism district board, said he is unlikely to approve additional funding for the organization until it can show results.

“The Tourism Marketing District was set up to market specific programs,” he said. “We look forward to doing so if 2015 can demonstrate that it has a specific product they would like to market. I haven’t seen anything yet.”

One local nonprofit executive said he was happy to be included as a centennial partner. He has agreed verbally to add the Balboa Park Celebration logo to his marketing program.

“There’s no financial commitment, but if we are partnering to elevate the attractions and celebration of Balboa Park, which we are, then yes, we are a key partner,” said Ray Ashley of the San Diego Maritime Museum. “There’s a synergy that takes place when you do this. That’s really what we’re getting at.”